Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to molded dehydrated placental tissue and, in particular, to molded dehydrated placental tissue compositions. Such compositions are prepared from dehydrated micronized placental tissue. This invention also includes methods of making and using such compositions.
State of the Art
Placental tissue is known in the art as a basis for wound coverings and wound healing. Typically, the placental tissue is harvested after an elective Cesarean surgery. The placenta is composed of an amniotic membrane which has two primary layers of tissue, amnion and chorion. Amnion tissue is the innermost layer of the amniotic sac and in direct contact with the amniotic fluid. The amniotic sac contains the amniotic fluid and protects the fetal environment. Histological evaluation indicates that the membrane layers of the amnion consist of a single layer of epithelium cells, thin reticular fibers (basement membrane), a thick compact layer, and a fibroblast layer. The fibrous layer of amnion (i.e., the basement membrane) contains collagen types IV, V, and VII, and cell-adhesion bio-active factors including fibronectin and laminins. Heretofore, wound covering or wound healing compositions comprising placental tissue components typically were in the form of grafts wherein individual layers such as the amnion and/or chorion layer formed a discreet component of the graft.
While such tissue grafts provide significant medical benefits, these grafts are very thin and lack sufficient structural competency to accord for non-invasive means for insertion into an internal organ or body part of a patient.
Described herein is a unique approach wherein dehydrated micronized placental tissue component(s) are molded into shapes and sizes which can be non-invasively introduced into or onto a patient for the purposes of wound healing and other medical applications.